John Charles Slowey was born in
Lafayette County, Wisconsin, about April 1860.[1]
He was the fifth of nine children born to Patrick Edward Slowey and
Katherine McCabe[2] [3] [4], a
farmer and a housewife who could read, but not
write.[4]
In about 1872, Patrick Slowey relocated the family to Yankton
County, South Dakota.[5]
John Charles married Theresa Burns (b. Jun 1865 d. 23 Jul
1945) on 24 Feb 1886 at St. Kyran Catholic Church in Mayfield,
Yankton County, South Dakota.[6]
Sadly, John’s mother was not alive to see her son marry, having
passed away two years prior. Theresa’s father and John’s
sister were the official witnesses.
The couple had 12 children over the next 20
years: [7] [8]
Catherine (Katie)
Peter William
Mary Elizabeth
Theresa (Trasey)
Ellen
Anna
Thomas Patrick
John Edward
William
Clarence George
Clement Walter
Agnes
Anna (1895) and Agnes (1906) did not survive their
birthdays. Mary Elizabeth died at the age of 21 from
tuberculosis.
John purchased a farm shortly after marriage. The
original farm was 189 acres, all on the north side of what is now
Highway 46, in Mayfield Township.[9]
He later bought an additional 54 acres on the south side of the
highway, in Walshtown Township[10], in
about 1900. Theresa (Burns) Slowey was well known as a
midwife and was much in demand at childbirth and also other
sickness.[11] John
was a grain farmer, and received help on his farm from son
Clarence [12] through
the remainder of his years.[13] [14]
John died on 26 April 1928, after being hospitalized for
complications from pneumonia since 29 March 1928, at Sacred Heart
Hospital in Yankton, Yankton County, South Dakota.[15] [16]
His death certificate indicates that he was buried two days later
at the Catholic Cemetery. His actual grave was found at St.
Columba Catholic Cemetery in Mayfield, Yankton County, South
Dakota.[17]